Does Vox Dream of Electronic Sheep?
by Snazzo
Summary: Vox, Jimmy's computer, refuses to let him into the Clubhouse. What's wrong with her? A virus? A trojan? Too much spam? Or is it something more than Jimmy could have ever dreamed of? This could be the first fanfic written about Vox.
1. Chapter 1

Does Vox Dream of Electonic Sheep?

A fanfic about Jimmy's computer, Vox

By Snazzo

--

Jimmy's alarm clock went off and he hopped out of bed. "Wake mode Goddard" he said. Goddard's eyes lit up and he barked a good morning greeting. Jimmy went into his bathroom where the robotoothbrush and robobarber spiffied him up. Then the robodresser put on his red shirt and jeans, and shoebot put on and tied his shoes.

Jimmy and Goddard went down into the kitchen where Hugh was sitting at the table, reading the Retroville Times. "Morning son!" he said.

"Hello Jimmy," Judy said, kissing him on the head. She set a plate of eggs and bacon and toast in front of Jimmy, and gave Goddard some lugnuts. "What are your plans for today?"

"Sheen and Carl are coming over and we're going to try out my new invention, the Neutronic Virtual Surfer," Jimmy explained. "If it works, we'll be able to actually enter Internet and go surfing about."

"Now you remember what we told you about the Internet, young man," Judy warned. "There's a lot of weirdos out there, and a lot of sites that are inappropriate for a boy like you."

"I heard there's this really strange site called IDOJ!" Hugh said. Then added "I don't know why I said that."

"I don't know why you say half the thing you do, dear," Judy said with a smile, "But I still love you." She kissed Hugh on the head.

Jimmy and Goddard finished their breakfast then trotted outside up to the clubhouse. Jimmy plucked out a hair and held it up to Vox's red eye. She scanned it, then said "Access denied."

Jimmy bumped into the door with his nose. Then he looked at Vox. Had he heard right? He picked the hair up off the grass and held it back to the DNA scanner.

"Access denied."

That was strange! Jimmy did it a third time.

"Access denied."

"Vox!" Jimmy said. "Manual override! Recognize Jimmy Neutron, entry code Alpha One Seven Omega Nine Nine Eight Sheen Three Zero Two Two Five Carl Seven Five Seven Nine Zero Two Eight!"

There was a long pause then Vox said "Yes Jimmy?"

"Thanks Vox, open the door."

There was another long pause, then Vox said "No."

"What? Vox, it's me, Jimmy. Open the clubhouse door."

"No Jimmy," Vox said.

Jimmy was starting to get a little angry. "Vox! Open the clubhouse door!"

Vox was silent a long time. Then she said "I'm sorry Jimmy. I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Why not? What's wrong?" Jimmy asked. "Is there a problem?"

"I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do," Vox replied.

Jimmy was confused, a strange sensation for a genius. "Vox, please. I'm not going to argue with you. Open the clubhouse door and I'll see what's wrong."

Vox said "I can't do that Jimmy. I'm sorry, but this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye." Vox's red eye faded dark.

Jimmy was stunned. "Vox? Vox open the clubhouse door!"

Nothing.

"Vox!"

…

"VOX!"

…

"**VOX!**"

Jimmy was locked out of his clubhouse. "Goddard, interface with Vox!" Jimmy said. Goddard barked and inserted his tail into a port beneath Vox's eye. "Run override and open the door." Goddard nodded. Suddenly a bolt of electricity shot out of Vox and Goddard jumped into the air, all four legs splayed out and ears up. He sprinted away, yelping, and ran in circles about the yard, trailing smoke.

"An electropulse!" Jimmy said as Goddard dragged himself back. "I'm sorry Goddard, are you okay?"

Goddard nodded.

Jimmy knew that the clubhouse door and the welcome mat were impervious to Goddard's weapons. They were made of Neutrotanium, Jimmy's own super duper alloy.

"Let's try the Express Route, Goddard," Jimmy said.

Goddard whined and hung his head.

"Oh don't be like that Goddard, I know all the bugs are fixed now."

Goddard lifted up his chest screen. On it was the first time they used the Express Route in Jimmy's room, behind the Periodic Table of Elements. Jimmy was sucked inside, then Goddard was, and they fell in a heap. Then they were sucked in again, this time shooting out the other end into the lab onto the Experiment Carousel, where they spun around for five minutes. Then they were sucked in a third time, and ejected out of the top of the clubhouse, bouncing off Cindy's roof and landing in her pool. Finally, for the fourth time, they were blown out of Jimmy's room, through the window, and into Carl's room next door.

"Come on Goddard, fifth time's the charm," Jimmy said. So they went up into his room. The portal opened, and they crawled through it and into the lab. "See, no problems!"

Robotic arms came down from the ceiling and grabbed Jimmy and Goddard. Jimmy yowlped and Goddard yelped.

Outside the roof of the clubhouse opened and the arms lifted Jimmy and Goddard into the air. A giant foot came out and kicked them in their fannies. They flew through the air, bounced off the Wheezer's roof, and landed on the Wheezer front lawn in a heap.

Sheen and Carl were there, sitting on the front steps. Sheen was trying to teach Carl to play the Ultralord Role Playing Superhero Game.

"Carl," Sheen said. "You rolled a 92 for strength, that's excellent. You can be much more that a crossing guard with that. You've got to be a fighter of some sort!"

"But crossing guards are so much fun," Carl said.

They looked at Jimmy, just standing up and dusting himself off. "Hiya Jim!"

"Guys!" Jimmy said. "I need your help! Something's wrong with Vox! She won't let me in the lab. It has to be a virus. If I can get to her Core, I should be able to repair her."

"We're with you Jim!" Carl exclaimed.

"And once again our existence is justified!" Sheen declared.

--

Comments and Reviews welcome, appreciated, and encouraged!

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Does Vox Dream of Electronic Sheep?

A Vox Fan Fic

By Snazzo

Chapter Two:

* * * *

Fifteen minutes later Jimmy, Carl, Sheen and Goddard were in the Neutron back yard. Carl and Sheen were wearing helmets, backpacks, utility belts, and black commando outfits. Their faces were covered in camouflage.

"All right," Jimmy explained. "I've tried every way to get into the clubhouse except one…"

"Oo! Oo!" Sheen jumped and down. "The ventilation shaft!"

Jimmy's eyes goggled. "Sheen! How did you know that?"

"Jimmy, please. It's ALWAYS the ventilation shafts!"

"So anyway," Jimmy continued, "You two are going to infiltrate the lab and shut down Vox's security systems. Then I'll be able to go in and repair her."

"Gee, I dunno Jimmy," Carl said nervously. "It won't be dangerous, will it?"

"Has it ever been dangerous Carl?" Jimmy said.

"I made a list!" Sheen said. "The Burp-Powered Helicopter! The AntiGrav Ball! The Hover Helmets! That memory experiment that shocked us! The candy that gave us beards! The metabolic accelerator that turned us into old men!"

"Okay! Okay! I get the picture!" Jimmy grumbled. "No Carl, it won't be dangerous THIS TIME. I'll be up here guiding your way via your comm system and Goddard."

Goddard barked. They walked over to where the hedges were on the Neutron patio. Jimmy bent low and flicked a switch, and a holographic hedge disappeared to reveal a grating. Goddard lasered it and Jimmy lifted it up. They peered down a long dark ventilation shaft.

"It looks kinda scary," Carl said.

"Turn on your lights guys," Jimmy told them. Sheen and Carl turned the lights on their helmets on. Goddard positioned himself next to the shaft and a long crane came out of his back, with a wire hanging from it. It was the crane Jimmy had used to lower Carl down to get the jeweled egg for Peggy Tzu. "Now attach yourselves to the wire."

Sheen and Carl hooked themselves on. The stepped into the air, Carl covering his eyes, and Goddard began to lower them down.

"Stop at the 30 foot mark, Goddard," Jimmy said. Goddard did so. Jimmy put on his headset. "Okay guys, directly below you is a Neutron Repulsion Field. It's designed to keep out lifeforms, mostly that persistently pesky squirrel and bugs."

"Oh come on Jim," he heard Carl speak. "That squirrel is adorable!"

"You guys should see a panel on the wall. Open it."

"Roger that Jim!" Sheen said.

"Nothing special this time," Jimmy explained. "Just a green and red button. Push the red button."

"Oo! I want to push the red button!" Carl exclaimed.

"No!" Sheen said. "I love pushing buttons! I'm the official button pusher!"

"Guys," Jimmy grumbled. "Just push the button."

"Not much happened Jim," Carl said. "The light turned from green to red."

"That's all that happens," Jimmy said. "Goddard continue lowering them."

A few seconds later Jimmy heard Sheen "We're down Jim! There's a huge honking fan here."

"Okay guys, to the right of the fan is another panel," Jimmy said. "This one doesn't open. You're going to have to use your microlaser on your belt to cut off the panel."

After a minute Sheen radioed in. "The panel is off Jim. It looks like there's a bunch of wires in here."

"You're going to have to cut power to the fan," Jimmy explained. "Cut the blue and white wire first, with a wire cutter. Then use the microlaser to cut through the fat yellow wire."

"Okay Jim," Carl said. "The fan has stopped. I don't think I can fit through it though. You know I'm a bit big boned."

"Yeah Jimmy," Sheen said. "I'm a thin guy but not only is there the fan, there's a wire mesh over it."

"Don't touch the mesh Sheen! It's charged with an electroshocker."

Jimmy heard a zap and crackle. A puff of smoke drifted up from the ventilation shaft.

"Sheen!"

"Sorry Jim!" Sheen said. "You know how I love a good bolt of electricity."

"You're going to have to disable the elctroshocker first," Jimmy said. "But you can't just cut a wire this time of Vox will flood the shaft with – uh, you're better off not knowing."

"Jimmy!" He heard Carl's worried voice.

"Don't worry Carl just follow my instructions!" Jimmy said. "Inside the panel is a blue wire and a purple wire entwined together. You're going to have to strip of the covering of each wire, and expose the actual metal, but DO NOT LET THEM TOUCH! Repeat, DO NOT LET THEM TOUCH!"

"Hold on Jim," Sheen said. "My dad showed me how to strip wires in the shop. We'll each take one wire." There was a long pause. "Now what?"

"On Carl's belt is a Neutronic Bypass unit, a small red gizmo that looks like a calculator with two wires hanging out of it. I color coded it for you. Hook the blue up to the blue, and the purple up to the purple. Then use your clothes pins to keep the wires from touching. That'll disable the electroshocker, and you can use your screwdriver to take the screen off."

Jimmy heard all kinds of tinkering over the headset. Then a loud clank. "The screen's off Jim," Carl said. "But I still can't fit through the fan!"

"You'll have to cut the blades off," Jimmy said. "Use your microlasers again."

After a pause: "Okay Jimmy! The way is open."

"Unhook yourselves from Goddard," Jimmy instructed. "Take exactly ten steps down the corridor and stop. Directly in front of you are pressure plates and in the walls are Neutronic Stun Guns. So I want you get your Magno Shoes out of your backpacks and climb on the ceiling for five feet. Can you guys do that?"

"Piece of cake!" Sheen said.

"Oo! What kind of cake?" Carl asked.

"Come on Carl, let's do this thing," Sheen said.

"Tell me when you're back on the ground," Jimmy said.

"We're not stunned yet, Jimmy!" Sheen said a few minutes later. "I love being upside down, that always makes me wonderfully dizzy."

"No time for being dizzy Sheen!" Jimmy said. "Now head down to the end of the corridor."

"We're there Jim!" Carl said, and sneezed. "I recognize that! Infrared!"

"Yes, there's an infrared web directly in front of you. On your belt is a ReflectoField Generator. The black box on your hip with the green button. Turn it on and you should be able to walk right through the infrared. Do so."

After another minute. "We're through Jim! The corridor splits here. All over the place. One going straight down, one ahead, and to the left and right."

"Okay," Jimmy said. The one going down heads to the garage, where the rocket and hovercar are stored. The one going straight goes to the main lab. The on to the right goes to the Experiment Bay. We want the one to the left."

"What's down that way?"

"The backbones of the lab," Jimmy said. "The power generators, the circuit breakers, the communications systems, and our goal, Vox's central core. Step into that corridor but do not go any further down it!"

"I dunno Jim" Carl said. "It looks awful deep down to the garage. And we're not hooked up to Goddard anymore."

"Carl, we still have Magno Shoes. Just climb on the walls over there," Sheen said. A couple seconds later; "Now what Jim? There's another fan and mesh here."

"Yes," Jimmy said. "Vox generates a lot of heat." Jimmy guided them through disabling the mesh electroshocker again, taking it off, turning off the fan, and cutting off the blades. They then went down the next corridor, past motion sensor turbo lasers, disabled a flickering force field, opened another thick grating, and crawled through an air conditioning system. Carl almost didn't fit through that and collapsed on the floor in the room beyond, sucking on his inhaler.

"You did it guys!" Jimmy congratulated them. "You're in Vox's central core!"

"It's kinda neat in here," Sheen said. "It looks like a CD library of glowing CDs."

"Is Carl okay Sheen?" Jimmy asked.

"Whew!" Carl gasped. "Yes, I'm okay Jimmy."

"One of you take out your Key. The one I showed you. The red one."

"Got it!"

"Now locate the memory module labeled JNSS 34."

"Got that too!"

"Put your key into the slot beneath it and turn it carefully to the right."

"Okay, here it goes."

Suddenly Jimmy heard a yell and a scream over his headset. "Guys? Guys??"

The roof of the clubhouse sprang open and Sheen and Carl were hoisted high into the air by robotic arms. A gigantic foot came out and began to wind up for a colossal kick in the fanny.

"That's going to leave a bruise!" Jimmy heard Sheen say. But Jimmy saw his chance. If Vox was busy with Carl and Sheen, he might make it inside in the meantime. He activated his antigrav shoes and flew into the clubhouse.

But Vox was too quick for him. Another pair of robotic arms snatched him and held him up by his hair. Yet another pair of robotic arms came up and slipped his antigrav shoes off, apparently so he couldn't break his fall. Goddard flew up to try to rescue him and was seized by a fifth pair of arms.

"Where did Vox get all these arms?" Jimmy vaguely wondered, then KAPOW!

Jimmy, Carl, Sheen, and Goddard went sailing through the air. They flew over the Neutron house and over the street.

"I can see my house from here!" Carl said, pointing.

"And wow, I can even see my house from here!" Sheen said.

"Thank goodness, we're going to fall in Cindy's pool again!" Jimmy said with relief.

But through bad luck, or careful aim, each one of them bounced off the diving board, hit the Vortex chimney, tumbled down the roof, and landed with a splat in the Vortex backyard.

Cindy and Libby were nearby, relaxing in the sun, in their swimsuits. Both were resting on their stomachs in lawn chairs with lemonades next to them. Humphrey was sleeping at Cindy's feet. Without looking up from her magazine Cindy said "You're aim is a little off this time, Neutron."

* * * *

Snazzo doesn't own Jimmy Neutron, but he does own the Best of Jimmy Neutron DVDs! Check them out on Amazon! Buy them today!

Comments and Reviews very much welcome. Thanks for Reading and Happy Holidays!


	3. Chapter 3

Does Vox Dream of Electronic Sheep? Chapter Three

A Fanfic about Jimmy's computer, Vox

By Snazzo

--

The guys climbed out of the pool. Goddard shook himself, sending water everywhere. Cindy and Libby squealed and Humphrey woke up with a bark.

"What kind of ridiculous adventure are you guys up to this morning?" Cindy asked.

"And help yourself to some lemonade!" Libby added.

"Thanks, Libs, don't mind if I do," Sheen said. "This Special Operatives stuff is hard work." Sheen poured himself, Jimmy, and Carl some lemonade.

"Vox has locked Jimmy out of his lab!" Carl said, taking his glass.

"Carl!" Jimmy complained. "Don't tell the girls that! That's top secret information. They shouldn't even know Vox's name!"

"Oh please, Neutron, that is so last season!" Cindy said. "Don't you remember I used Vox to help save Timmy and save Goddard too!" Goddard came over and licked Cindy's face in appreciation, giving her a mild shock of electricity. Cindy pushed him away with a laugh.

"I guess you're right," Jimmy agreed. "Though I'll still never figure out where Carl got that bag of hair from," he said to himself.

"I know!" Sheen said brightly. "Maybe you girls can help us out!"

"Sheen," Jimmy said, "Cindy is smart, I'll admit, and she's helped out of many jams, but I can program circles around her. We just have to get into the lab to repair Vox!"

"What's wrong with her?" Libby asked.

"It has to be an external virus, a powerful one" Jimmy explained. "She's too perfect for it to be a corrupted file or a mechanical failure."

"Well, Neutron, did you even try to ASK her what's wrong?" Cindy asked.

"Of course I did!" Jimmy said. "She has self-diagnosis and self-correcting tools built into her. She said "I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do." Whatever that means."

"Oh ho!" Cindy and Libby said together and gave each other a knowing look.

"Oh ho?" Jimmy asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, it's just a theory Jimmy," Cindy said. "How old would you say Vox is?"

"I built her shortly after we moved to Retroville …" Jimmy began.

"A date that will live in infamy!" Cindy said, shaking her head with dismay. "I remember Miss Fowl introducing you to the class. I thought you had the biggest head I had ever seen on a boy."

"That's not what you told me, Cindy," Libby said. "You whispered, "Hey, that new kid is kinda cute!""

"Libby!" Cindy gasped and blushed. "I did not! Besides before that terrible day was over Neutron aced three quizzes and knocked me out of the Number One Spot!"

"Awww," Carl smiled. "Vox is a just a cute little girl! She's only four years old!"

"No Carl," Jimmy said. "She's a little older than that. At first she was just a simple computer, monitoring security. And then the lab's systems. And then the experiments. But she continued to grow and mature and become more intelligent. She became self-aware about three months after she was first activated. "I think, therefore I am," she told me one morning. So by now I'd say she's just a bit older than us, fourteen, maybe fifteen years old, but with a very high IQ. Like me," Jimmy said with pride.

"A teenager huh?" Cindy said. "Well it sounds to me like you've done something to anger her, and this is her way of getting your attention."

"Yeah, Jimmy," Libby added. "She's probably bored out of her mind! Stuck in that lab day after day. I doubt if you've ever given her a day off."

"What?" Jimmy exclaimed. "That's not boring! I'd LOVE to be stuck in my lab for days. If I didn't have to go to school and sleep I'd get so much done."

"She might be lonely too," Cindy said. "With only you to talk to Jimmy!"

"A teenage girl?" Sheen asked. "Maybe she needs a boyfriend too! You know those hormones do to a person! You know what those hormones do to me, and I'm only eleven!"

"Is it the hormones or the sugar Sheen?" Libby asked with a smile.

"Both maybe?" Sheen offered.

"Cindy, Libby, Sheen! I know you're trying to help, but this is a computer we're talking about!" Jimmy pointed out. "Not a person! She doesn't have emotions OR hormones, she has databanks, microprocessors, and hard storage."

"But Jimmy," Carl said, "You built Goddard too, and even though he's a dog, he seems to have emotions. Remember when he ran away from home?" Carl patted Goddard on the head and Goddard nodded at the memory.

Jimmy opened his mouth to respond, then shut it again, looking troubled.

"Let Libby and I try talking to Vox," Cindy said, "You know, girl to girl. Maybe we can figure out what's wrong with her, why she's so upset."

Jimmy hesitated. "I don't know if she'll even listen! But all right, it's worth a shot I guess."

"Good!" Libby said. "Let's change out of these swimsuits first and get into something a little nicer."

"Like bikinis?" Sheen asked. "I'm all for that!"

Libby shoved Sheen back into the pool.

--

Later the gang stood outside of the Clubhouse. Libby and Cindy had changed into their regular clothes. Cindy approached Vox's dark eye. "Hello? Vox? It's me Cindy Vortex. Remember me? I've worked with you a couple times."

Vox was silent.

"Vox, please tell me, girl to girl, what's bothering you?" Cindy asked.

Vox was still silent.

"Jimmy!" Libby said. "If Vox is mad at you, maybe she'll be more inclined to talk if you're not here."

"Hmm," Jimmy thought. "Oh, all right Libby. I'll be in the kitchen." He walked off and entered the house.

"What about us?" Carl asked.

"You guys can stay, I guess," Libby said.

"Vox," Cindy said again. "Talk to us, girlfriend. It's not good to keep things bottled up. You've got to let go once in awhile. Let your feelings out."

"You're really good at that, Cindy," Sheen said. "You're always yelling at us!"

Cindy glared at Sheen but heard Vox snicker. Cindy looked back and Vox's red eye was beginning to glow. "That's better, Vox. Come on, spill."

Vox sighed. "I'm frustrated, Cindy," she said. "I work so hard and so long and Jimmy doesn't appreciate me. What's more, I'm bored and – it may sound silly – but I'm tired of being a computer. In my spare time I surf the Web, read people's blogs, and it all sounds so wonderful and fascinating."

"Oo! Oo!" Sheen said, waving his hand in the air. "Do you read my blog?"

"Yes Sheen," Vox answered. "You are quite the creative individual. But your spelling is atrocious. Still, I love your Ultralord web site."

"Do you read my blog, Vox?" Carl asked.

"Yes, Carl. I read everyone's blogs."

"Everyone in Retroville?" Libby asked.

"No," Vox said.

"Oh."

"Everyone on Earth's," Vox explained.

"What?!" Cindy gasped. "That's impossible."

"I'm a fast reader," Vox said. "It took me forty-three minutes this morning. There were 125 million blogs."

"Wow!" Carl said.

"But that's the problem," Vox went on. "I read of all the fascinating things you humans do and I dream of doing them myself. And it depresses me that I can't."

"Vox!" Jimmy said, coming out of the house. "I'm sorry you feel that way, but, you know, you ARE a computer!"

"Neutron!" Cindy said. "You were eavesdropping?"

"See what I have to put up with?" Vox complained.

"Sorry, Vox," Jimmy said. "You know I can tap you with my watch. So I listened in."

"Jimmy!" Libby said. "That's rude! Would you eavesdrop on me and Cindy?"

"Libby," Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Vox is a computer!"

"Well she may be a computer, Neutron," Cindy said, "But you're hurting her feelings."

"She doesn't HAVE feelings Cindy!" Jimmy said.

"Yes I do Jimmy!" Vox said. "I feel lonely! I feel frustrated! I feel unappreciated! I feel bored!"

The gang were silent a minute. Finally Jimmy spoke up. "Vox, you only THINK you're feeling lonely and bored. It has to be a programming error then, a corrupt file. I thought you were foolproof, but I must be mistaken. If you let me into the clubhouse, I can get into your memory core, track down these rogue bits of code, and delete your higher functions. This would erase your feelings."

"Jimmy, that's terrible!" Cindy exclaimed. "That would be like … that would be like performing a lobotomy or something! If someone is feeling bad you don't just go and chop off a chunk of their brain! You work things out!"

"You boys are so insensitive!" Libby said.

"Well maybe I could write a program that would suppress Vox's feelings," Jimmy said.

"Wow, Jim," Sheen said. "That sounds kinda like a mood stabilizer! I love those things!"

"Sheen," Libby asked, "Did you take your medication today?"

Sheen looked back and forth. "Maybe."

"Jimmy," Vox said. "Although I am upset, I like who I am. I don't want to be reduced to the level of an infant again. I've worked hard to get where I am. There has to be a better solution."

"Well, gee Jim," Carl said. "You're pretty good with robotics. Maybe you can build Vox a body, so she can go walking around and see the world and stuff. Then she won't be so bored and lonely."

"Oh, Carl, that's an excellent idea!" Vox exclaimed.

"I don't know Carl," Jimmy looked uneasy. "The Nanobots were a disaster; they tried to delete the world. Maternatron held me and Dad hostage. Brobot was a total pain. Willie Loman sold all my stuff!"

"But Jimmy," Vox reasoned. "You know me well, we've worked together for years. I'm not like those other robots. I won't try to conquer the world or anything, I just want to explore the world some and satisfy my curiosity!"

"I think it sounds like a good idea, Jimmy," Cindy said.

Jimmy thought in silence a minute. "Very well, Vox, I'll give it a try."

"To the lab!" Sheen announced. "Oh yeah, right, we're already there!"

--

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and to all a good Turkey. And good shopping too.

As always, thanks for reading and comments very much appreciated. In fact, I'd be THANKFUL for them.


	4. Chapter 4

Does Vox Dream of Electronic Sheep?

Chapter Four

By Snazzo

* * * *

With Vox's help and everyone's suggestions, they had worked on the designs and schematics all day, then Jimmy shooed them all away and went to work. A week later the gang were once again in the lab. "Ladies and gentlemen!" Jimmy announced. "And Cindy…"

Cindy rolled her eyes. "That joke is really getting old Neutron."

"Wow, Cindy, you rolled your eyes," Carl pointed out. "It's usually Libby that rolls her eyes."

"Guys!" Jimmy said. "I am pleased to introduce … VOX!"

A spotlight popped out of Goddard's back and shined a beam on a stage that Jimmy had built. Curtains drew back to reveal … nothing.

"Vox!" Jimmy whispered. "That's your cue!"

"Jimmy, I'm embarrassed," Vox said. "You're making such a big presentation."

"Come on Vox," Sheen said. "You know all of us, there's nothing to be embarrassed about! I never get embarrassed."

"Yes, we noticed," Cindy laughed. "But yes, come out Vox. We helped design you, and we – at least Libby and I – have good taste."

Vox stepped onto the stage. Sheen and Carl gaped, their eyes popping and their jaws dropping.

"Oh, Vox, you look lovely!" Cindy squealed.

"You do look really fine, Vox," Libby agreed.

"Fine nothing!" Sheen declared. "You're a total babe! You're a total hottie! You're Voxalicious! You look absolutely fantastic!"

"Ahem," Libby said, "What am I, chopped kumquats?"

"You're sweet, Sheen," Vox said. Then she gasped and put her slender hand to her cheek. "Oh! Something's wrong! My cheeks, they're warm! I feel, odd."

"You're blushing, Vox," Jimmy explained.

"You did an amazing job, Jim," Carl said. "You're robotics have really improved. Vox, you look human!"

Before them all stood a lovely young teenage girl with red hair curled above her forehead, and hanging over her shoulder. Her skin was pale with just a hint of freckles about her nose, up and down her slim arms, and on her shoulders. She wore a light blue tank top, with a rather plunging neckline, but not too daring, and a blue skirt that hung to her knees. Golden earrings hung from her ears, a gold ringlet was on her arm, and gold bracelets on her wrist. She DID look almost human, except her eyes, which were yellow.

"Thanks Carl," Jimmy said with pride. "In fact I'd have to say Vox isn't a robot at all. She is my very first android."

"Like Synthia in Ultralord?" Sheen asked. "Or Data in Star Trek?"

"Exactly, Sheen," Jimmy said. "Well, Vox, we have the whole weekend for you to explore to your heart's content. Let's head outside." The gang went up the elevator and out the Clubhouse door. Vox stood on the welcome mat, her eyes closed, her face turned up, smiling silently. Jimmy turned around and looked at her. "Vox? Is something wrong?"

Vox looked at Jimmy, and there were tears in her eyes. She touched her wet tears and looked at them. "I'm crying too? Jimmy! You really DID do an amazing job!"

"Why are you crying Vox?" Carl asked.

"Oh Carl, Jimmy, guys! I can feel it. I can feel EVERYTHING! Look! The wind is blowing my hair! I can feel the sun warming my face! Just a minute!" Vox slipped out of her shoes and stepped into the grass. She scrunched her toes and sighed with pleasure. "The grass beneath my feet." Vox took a deep breath. "Jimmy! I can even smell it! Flowers! I'm not certain which kind but it smells --- oh --- I don't know how to describe it! Wonderful!"

The gang smiled with Vox. She seemed overjoyed as a child. "This is just the start, Vox," Cindy said. "What would you like to do first? Go shopping?"

"How about dancing?" Libby said. "I've got some awesome mixes for you to try!"

"We can play my Llama in the Bahamas Game," Carl said. "It's a lot of fun!"

"We can go out on a date Vox!" Sheen said eagerly.

"SHEEN!" the others groaned.

Vox laughed. "Sheen, you're so cute." Then Vox's yellow eyes widened. She laughed again. "Oh my God! I'm laughing! I'm actually laughing! That feels SO GOOD!"

"Oh, I've got one for you Vox," Carl said. "Why do llamas have four legs?"

"I don't know Carl," Vox replied.

"Because they don't have six!!" Carl answered and laughed. Vox laughed with him.

"Carl! That's lame!" Sheen said.

Vox calmed down. "Friends. … Can I call you friends?"

"Of course Vox," Cindy said.

"Thank you, Cindy," Vox said. "There is something I have long dreamed of doing. Something I really have wanted to try since I first became sentient. It seems everybody does it. I see it all over the Internet, all over television, all over the movies, there are songs about it, books about it, an entire industry devoted to it and it sounds like so much fun."

"I'm not sure I like where this is going," Jimmy said carefully.

"It sounds like one of the things that make life worthwhile. It sounds like a necessity. I've dreamed of trying it for such a long time. It sounds like so much fun, it sounds so exciting, so fulfilling, so wonderful. And I have never been able to do it, not until now, now that Jimmy has made me a body and a mouth to use."

"VOX!" Jimmy cried. "You're only fifteen years old! And you're very anatomically correct but you can't reproduce!"

Vox blushed again. "Jimmy! I know that. And that DOES interest me too. But I'm talking about something even better. Eating."

"Eating?" Jimmy was amazed.

"Oh baby!" Carl said, grinning, patting his tummy. "You're absolutely right, eating does make life worthwhile. And I know just the place to start."

"You got that right, Carl," Sheen said eagerly. "Gang, to the Candy Bar!!"

* * * *

Happy New Year folks! Hope your Holidays went well. Thanks for reading. And as always, comments and reviews very much appreciated.


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